Locked On Lakers - Daily Podcast On The Los Angeles Lakers

The Lakers made it through Round 1 without Luka Dončić and for 2/3 of the series, without Austin Reaves. 

Against OKC in Round 2, they'll have Austin back, but Luka is nowhere near ready to play, still without a timetable and not doing anything approaching true on court work at speed. And given how fast this series will move -- it's an every other day affair -- there's a very good chance Luka won't be available for any of it. Even if it goes longer than anyone expects. That's how the Lakers are likely approaching things. Plus, they do need to be careful about rushing Luka back for a series that is potentially too far gone, and putting a full, robust offseason in jeopardy. Because the last thing the Lakers want is for this injury to linger. 

Meanwhile, the pressure will be on Austin Reaves to step up. The challenge is significant, and Reaves's splits this season against the Thunder are bad. But with a huge free agent summer coming, this is an important step for Reaves, to perform against an elite defense. Because this is the type of quality championship caliber players will face in the postseason. And at an expected $35-40 million, that's the expectation. 

Finally, this will be a series where, between Reaves and SGA, the whole "foul merchant" thing will be top of mind. How fair is the label for either guy? 

 

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky 

 

SEGMENT 1: Luka likely out for the second round? 

 

SEGMENT 2: Pressure on Reaves. 

 

SEGMENT 3: Foul merchants! 

 

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The Lakers were disappointed by the results of Game 5 at home Wednesday night, and knew moving back to Houston they'd need a much better Game 6 to eliminate the Rockets. 

And that's what they got. 

The Lakers used a good-enough offense, with low turnovers (10) and good 3-point shooting (12-28, 43%) in combination with an excellent defense -- the Rockets shot 35% from the floor and weren't a force on the offensive glass (despite a LOT of opportunities). LeBron James led the way with 28 points, on 10-25 shooting. Rui Hachimura was massive, with 21 points, fueled by 5-7 shooting from downtown. Austin Reaves finished with 15, but was integral in the third quarter (eight points) and overall was very effective getting into the paint. Seven early points from Jake LaRavia was a nice boost, too. 

Oh, 16 rebounds and stellar D from Deandre Ayton. 

Overall, the Lakers changed some small things. They pushed harder on misses, especially in the first half, to find easier buckets or at the least force Houston to scramble a little defensively. They sent fewer doubles at Alperin Sengun. They found ways into the paint. They cleaned up the TOs. 

All in all, a great end to a fantastic series for the Lakers. Even against a Rockets team missing Kevin Durant, to advance in six games when Luka Dončić didn't play, and Austin Reaves didn't appear until Game 5. 

Lakers fans have plenty of reasons to be proud, even with an incredibly difficult challenge coming against Oklahoma City. 

 

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky 

 

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HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky

 

SEGMENT 1: Can LeBron go LeBron for Game 6?

SEGMENT 2: Can Austin Reaves be a star on Friday?

SEGMENT 3: Amen Thompson is making life hard for Luke Kennard.

 

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Generally speaking, in the NBA Playoffs if your stars aren't stars, you're not going to win. 

Now, sometimes they're stars and you lose anyway. But rarely do they falter and the team still advances. So that's the position the Lakers are in LeBron James was pretty good (but not spectacular) and had a couple key turnovers. Austin Reaves did some good stuff, leading the team in assists and making 12 of 13 free throws. But he also missed 12 of his 16 field goal attempts. 

That's not good enough. 

So can the Lakers stars elevate against an excellent Houston defense? 

How good exactly do they need to be? 

Meanwhile, what can the Lakers do to get someone like Luke Kennard going? 

Because the Lakers need to take and make some more shots from distance. 

 

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky 

SEGMENT 1: Can LeBron go LeBron for Game 6? 

 

SEGMENT 2: Can Austin Reaves be a star on Friday? 

 

SEGMENT 3: Amen Thompson is making life hard for Luke Kennard. 

 

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Game 5 was not a good one for the Lakers, especially offensively. 

And while Austin Reaves did score 22 points, most of it came from the free throw line. His ineffectiveness from the field (4-16 shooting) was a drag on the performance of the offense as a while. It's easy to understand why - parachuting into a series after a long layoff isn't easy - but the circumstances don't necessarily matter. The Lakers need Reaves to be better going forward. 

The good news is while the output for A.R. and the team wasn't terribly impressive, there were very positive signs about what Reaves can do for the Lakers in Game 6 and (if needed) Game 7. The Lakers found themselves in the paint more. They got to the line more. Reaves was far more capable of creating his own shot against Houston's defense, finding ways to penetrate and create opportunities for others as well. 

Meanwhile, he didn't hurt them on the other end. 

So the foundation is there. The importance of his skill set is clear. But he, and the Lakers, need more shots to go down.  ?

Can he do it?

 

HOSTS: Andy and Brian Kamenetzky 

 

Everydayer Club
If you never miss an episode, it’s time to make it official. Join the Locked On Everydayer Club and get ad-free audio, access to our members-only Discord, and more — all built for our most loyal fans. Click here to learn more and join your team’s community: https://lockedonpodcasts.com/everydayerclub

 

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5-Hour ENERGY

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KALSHI

For a limited time, download the Kalshi app and use code LOCKEDON to get ten dollars when you trade ten. Kalshi. Trade on anything.  

DoorDash
From tipoff to overtime, stay in your bag and order on DoorDash.
Get snacks, drinks, gear — whatever gets you through the season — delivered right to your door.
DoorDash. In your bag all season long.

 

Indeed

Listeners of this show get a $75 Sponsored Job Credit to help give your job the premium placement it deserves at http://Indeed.com/podcast

Gametime

Today's episode is brought to you by Gametime. Download the Gametime app, create an account, and use code LOCKEDON for $20 off your first purchase. Terms and conditions apply.

FanDuel

Today's episode is brought to you by FanDuel.Right now new customers can bet just five dollars and get two-hundred and fifty dollars in bonus bets if your first bet wins.Visit https://FANDUEL.COMto get started — Play Your Game.

 

FANDUEL DISCLAIMER: 21+ in select states. First online real money wager only. Bonus issued as nonwithdrawable free bets that expires in 14 days. Restrictions apply. See terms at sportsbook.fanduel.com. Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER or visit FanDuel.com/RG (CO, IA, MD, MI, NJ, PA, IL, VA, WV), 1-800-NEXT-STEP or text NEXTSTEP to 53342 (AZ), 1-888-789-7777 or visit ccpg.org/chat (CT), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (WY, KS) or visit ksgamblinghelp.com (KS), 1-877-770-STOP (LA), 1-877-8-HOPENY or text HOPENY (467369) (NY), TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN)

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